A replacement name for Sphenomorphus keiensis (Kopstein, 1926) from the southeastern Moluccas, Indonesia (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) with a redescription of the species G.M. Shea & J.P. Michels Shea, G.M. & Michels, J.P. A replacement name for Sphenomorphus keiensis (Kopstein, 1926) from the southeastern Moluccas, Indonesia (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) with a redescription of the species. Zool. Med. Leiden 82 (52) 31.xii.2008: 737-747, fi gs 1-2.— ISSN 0024-0672. Glenn M. Shea, Faculty of Veterinary Science, B01, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia, and Research Associate, The Australian Museum, 6 College St, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia (gshea@mail. usyd.edu.au). J. Pieter Michels, Research Associate, National Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. Key words: Scincidae; Sphenomorphus; systematics; nomenclature; Indonesia. Lygosoma keiensis Kopstein, 1926 is demonstrated to be a junior primary homonym of Lygosoma cyano- gaster keiensis Sternfeld, 1918. The junior homonym, now placed in Sphenomorphus, is given the replace- ment name S. capitolythos, and redescribed from the holotype, the only known specimen. Introduction Many homonyms exist among nominal species-group taxa described in the scin- cid genus Lygosoma, the genus to which most skinks were referred during the second half of the 19th and fi rst half of the 20th century (Duméril & Duméril, 1851; Boulenger, 1887; De Rooij , 1915). This is particularly the case among species from southeast Asia and the Australopapuan region. Many of these homonyms are secondary, arising from Bou lenger’s (1887) combination in Lygosoma of species originally described in a number of genera, and a variety of replacement species names were created at the time (Boulenger, 1887; Ahl, 1925). However, some are primary homonyms, refl ecting the long period aft er Boulenger’s monograph when most new skink species were re- ferred to Lygosoma. Lygosoma was subsequently split into numerous genera, most notably by Smith (1937), Mitt leman (1952) and Greer (1974). For example, the 112 species referred to Lygosoma in the most recent monographic treatment of the skinks of the Indonesian/ Papuan archipelago (De Rooij , 1915) are currently assigned to 16-17 genera (there is recent disagreement about the validity of the genus Apterygodon; Mausfeld & Schmitz, 2003). The dismemberment of Lygosoma, and the lack of any complete checklist of names in the family since Boulenger (1887), has resulted in litt le att ention being paid in recent years to the existence of primary homonyms among species originally described in Lygosoma but now in diff erent genera. Most of these homonyms apply to names now considered synonymous with other taxa and not in present use. Therefore there is no need to provide them with a substitute name (Article 23.3.5; International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 1999). However, there still remain some problematic names. 738 Shea & Michels. A replacement name for Sphenomorphus keiensis. Zool. Med. Leiden 82 (2008) One publication particularly rife with homonyms is Sternfeld (1918), oft en incor- rectly cited as published in 1920 (e.g., Loveridge, 1948; Tyler, 1968; Zweifel, 1979; Mys, 1988; Brown, 1991). Sternfeld described 16 new species and subspecies of skinks in this paper. Eight of these are homonyms. Sternfeld twice proposed the same species or sub- species name for two taxa in the same paper: Lygosoma (Hinulia) maindroni wolfi (p. 395) and Lygosoma (Otosaurus) wolfi (p. 397), and Lygosoma (Riopa) albofasciolatum boett geri (p. 418) and Lygosoma (Emoa) boett geri (p. 406), possibly considering that either the diff ering subgeneric assignment, or the allocation of names to subspecies rather than species, avoided the homonymy. These primary homonyms were identifi ed by Mertens (1924), who proposed the nomina nova Otosaurus sternfeldi (currently Sphenomorphus concin- natus (Boulenger, 1887)) for L. wolfi , and Riopa albofasciolatum poehli (currently Eugongy- lus albofasciolatus (Günther, 1872)) for L. a. boett geri. Three of Sternfeld’s skinks, Lygosoma (Keneuxia) smaragdinum nigrum (p. 400), Lygo- soma (Emoa) cyanogaster aruensis (p. 405) and Lygosoma (Hinulia) jobiense elegans (p. 397), were junior secondary homonyms at the time of description, respectively of Eumeces niger Jacquinot & Guichenot, 1853) (now Emoia nigra, see Brown, 1991), Eumeces aruensis Doria, 1874 (now Sphenomorphus jobiensis (Meyer, 1874), see Boulenger, 1887 and Zweifel, 1980), and Hinulia elegans Gray, 1838 (the current identity of which is unknown (Cogger et al., 1983), although from the illustration subsequently provided by Gray (1845), it may be a synonym of Eulamprus tenuis (Gray, 1831)). Lygosoma jobiense elegans is also a junior primary homonym of Lygosoma elegans Boulenger, 1897 (now Lobulia elegantoides (Ahl, 1925) and a junior secondary homonym of Euprepes (Tiliqua) elegans Fischer 1883 (now Lygosoma fernandi (Burton, 1836)) and itself a junior primary homonym of Euprepes elegans Peters, 1854, long considered to be part of the genus Mabuya Fitzinger, 1826, but more recently implicitly tranferred to the resurrected genus Euprepis Wagler (see Maus- feld et al., 2002), and still more recently to Trachylepis Fitzinger, 1843 (see Bauer, 2003) with recognition that Euprepis was not available for the Afro-Malagasy lineage formerly in Mabuya; Fischer (1884) proposed the replacement name Euprepes leoninus for Euprepes (Tiliqua) elegans. Mertens (1929) provided the substitute name Dasia smaragdinum melas (now in Lam- prolepis) for the secondary homonym L. smaragdinum nigrum Sternfeld, 1918, although the recognition of subspecies within Lamprolepis smaragdinum has mostly been avoided for over half a century (Kinghorn, 1928; Burt and Burt, 1932; Hediger, 1933, 1934; Greer, 1970; McCoy, 1980; Mys, 1988; Crombie & Pregill, 1999), and neither Sternfeld’s nigrum nor Mertens’ substitute name has subsequently appeared in the literature. Should the Nissan Atoll Lamprolepis be accorded taxonomic recognition in the future, Sternfeld’s nigrum is to be used as this name is no longer homonymous. The homonymy of Sternfeld’s elegans was noted by Loveridge (1948: 346), although as no author since Sternfeld has applied the name to a species or subspecies distinct from Sphenomorphus jobiensis, no substitute name is needed. Sternfeld’s aruensis is currently placed in the synonymy of Emoia longicauda (Ma- cleay, 1877) (see Brown, 1991), and again no substitute name is needed. An eighth skink taxon described by Sternfeld (1918) is also a homonym, though this time as a senior primary homonym, and this homonymy has not been previously rec- ognised, nor is any subsequently published name available for the junior homonym. Sternfeld (1918) described Lygosoma (Emoa) cyanogaster keiensis, while Kopstein (1926) Shea & Michels. A replacement name for Sphenomorphus keiensis. Zool. Med. Leiden 82 (2008) 739 described Lygosoma (Homolepida) keiensis, both from the Kei Islands (now Kai Islands, or Kepulauan Kai, Indonesia). The epithet is formed incorrectly in both instances, as the name Lygosoma is neutral in gender. The epithet keiensis is to be corrected to keiense ac- cording to Articles 31.2 and 34.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 1999). This mandatory action has no further implications for the primary homonymy observed. Sternfeld’s subspe- cies is currently placed in the genus Emoia, while Kopstein’s species is currently placed in Sphenomorphus. The purpose of this paper is to provide a replacement name for Kopstein’s junior homonym, and a more thorough description and diagnosis of the species, still known only from the holotype. Systematics Lygosoma (Emoa) cyanogaster keiense Sternfeld, 1918 L[ygosoma]. [(Emoa)] cyanogaster keiensis Sternfeld, 1918: 405; Mertens, 1922: 175. Lygosoma [(Emoa)] cyanogaster, Kopstein, 1926: 90. Emoia cyanogaster, Loveridge, 1948: 366. [Emoia] keiensis, Mitt leman, 1952: 25. Emoia cyanogaster keiensis, Brown, 1954: 264; Mertens, 1967: 74. Emoia longicauda, Brown, 1991: 49; How et al., 1998: 134. Holotype.— SMF 15334 (Mertens, 1967: 74). Type locality.— “Kei-Inseln, ? Molukken […] Langgur (Kei)” (Sternfeld, 1918: 405). Current status.— Emoia longicauda (Macleay, 1877). Discussion of citation history.— Kopstein (1926) was the fi rst to comment on Stern- feld’s subspecies, stating that all of the Moluccan specimens he had collected agreed with Sternfeld’s diagnosis of L. c. aruense. No material from the Kai or Aru Islands was available to him, but nevertheless he remarked that the purported diff erences in col- oration and patt ern were untenable in view of the great chromatic variation within Lygosoma species. Consequently, he referred his specimens to a monotypic L. cya- nogaster. Loveridge (1948) rejected both aruense and keiense as well, but erroneously stated that Sternfeld had not provided any diagnosis. Mitt leman (1952) listed the spe- cies-group taxon keiense in combination with Emoia, but this action did not refl ect an intent to elevate it to species status for he noted “[I]n no sense does this list purport to be a checklist of the forms considered valid.” Brown (1954) left the taxonomic status of the subspecies indeterminate, though restricting E. c. cyanogaster (Lesson, 1826) to the Solomon Islands, and recognising E. c. longicauda (Macleay, 1877) for populations in New Guinea. Mertens (1967) gave as current status Emoia cyanogaster keiensis without reference to a source, although